Latest news with #SchuylkillRiver
CBS News
15 hours ago
- Sport
- CBS News
Young rowers take to the Schuylkill River for the Philadelphia Youth Regatta
Over 1,200 athletes will be in the City of Brotherly Love competing in the Philadelphia Youth Regatta along the Schuylkill River on Saturday. The Philadelphia Youth Regatta is billed as the largest one-day sprint regatta in the U.S., bringing together middle and high school athletes from several states along the East Coast who are all part of different rowing clubs. More than 620 boats will race across 39 events during the regatta. Fans of the sports can witness all the action as the entire day is free to the public. Spectators can watch from the grandstands on Kelly Drive. Then a medal ceremony will take place at Regatta Headquarters next to the Gillin Boathouse. The Schuylkill Navy of Philadelphia, the longtime governing body of Boathouse Row, is hosting the event. "It has produced Olympians, like Jack Kelly – Kelly Drive – and it is also one of the producers of national team athletes across the country," said Schuylkill Navy Treasurer Joe Kieffer, when asked about the magic of competing in Philadelphia. The regatta caps off the Schuylkill Navy Series presented by Toyota. It's a five-part lineup that not only celebrates rowing in Philadelphia but also works to make the sport more accessible and inclusive for everyone. Rowers hit the water at 8 a.m. and the action continues until 5:30 p.m.
CBS News
16-06-2025
- Health
- CBS News
In Philadelphia, breast cancer survivors paddle toward wellness together with dragon boat racing
On the banks of the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia, a group of breast cancer survivors assembles for practice. "My life is better for it. It's an incredible community of people who have gone through some version of what I've been through," said Catherine Hagele, a breast cancer survivor and member of the Hope Afloat dragon boat racing team. After finding a lump in 2017 when she was 49, Hagele had surgery, chemo and radiation. "It was the hardest thing I've ever done," she said. She said a big part of her recovery was finding this dragon boat racing team. Paddling their way to wellness in unison, the team called Hope Afloat even created a special song for themselves. Linda Giovinco lost her mother and sister to breast cancer, and then she was diagnosed. She said the team saved her life. "It's increased my confidence, it's given me a sense of camaraderie," Giovinco said. "Having lost a sister, I got all these sisters." Hagele, who works at Penn Medicine, recently received a Penn CAREs grant to supply equipment and discounted memberships for the team. The team ranges in age from 30 to 85 and welcomes all breast cancer patients and survivors, no matter their ability. And a few have been selected to be part of Team USA at the World Dragon Boat Racing Championships in Germany in July. "They are having an inaugural breast cancer survivor division, and so I'm part of the first team," Hagele said. Beyond the support and friendships, research shows dragon boat racing can help reduce breast cancer complications.
CBS News
16-06-2025
- CBS News
Family of transgender woman killed in 2020 remembers daughter after murderer convicted: "Dominque's life mattered"
A man was convicted of first-degree murder in the deadly slaying and dismembering of 27-year-old Dominique Rem'mie Fells, a transgender woman in Philadelphia, back in 2020, the district attorney's office announced Monday. Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner said Akhenaton Jones was also convicted of abuse of a corpse and possession of an instrument of crime by a jury on June 9, in connection with Fells' killing. The conviction date was almost exactly five years after Fells' dismembered body was found floating in the Schuylkill River. "Today our family gets back their time. Time to heal. Time to grow beyond this experience. Time to learn how to live again," said Terri Fells-Edmonds, Dominique Rem'mie Fells' mother. On June 8, 2020, Dominique Rem'mie Fells' upper body was found, stabbed more than 40 times, in the Schuylkill River. Investigators said three days later, her legs were found in a trash bag on the banks of the river. The 27-year-old's death ignited protests, bringing national focus to the violence LGBTQ+ community members face. Her name became a powerful symbol during the 2020 demonstrations for justice and equality. CBS Philadelphia "To me, she was Rem'mie, but to our family, she was a daughter, granddaughter, sister, niece and friend," said Terri Fells-Edmonds. "This does not feel like a loss that was just within our immediate family, but to the many people who, in the summer of 2020, were moved by Rem'mie's story." According to the district attorney's office, two witnesses who were at Jones' home on the 3900 block of Powelton Avenue told authorities that Fell was with Jones at the home on June 6, 2020. The witnesses left the home when Jones and the 27-year-old went into a bedroom. But the witnesses returned later and found Dominique Rem'mie Fells dead on a bed. Investigators obtained a search warrant for Jones' home and recovered a knife, an electric saw and a white hazmat suit – all of which were covered in blood. Authorities also caught Jones on surveillance taking Dominique Rem'mie Fells' remains out of the home and into a van that was then seen driving toward the Schuylkill River. An arrest warrant was issued that month for Jones, who had fled to California. Authorities detained him in Los Angeles in November 2020 and brought him back to Philadelphia, where more DNA evidence connected him to the crimes. Investigators didn't present a motive or cite bias in this case. But the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office says it wouldn't have changed the charges, as Pennsylvania's hate crime laws don't protect LGBTQ+ individuals; they apply only to race, religion and national origin. Dominique Rem'mie Fells Philadelphia District Attorney's Office According to the Williams Institute, a research center on sexual orientation and gender identity law and policy, trans people are more than four times more likely to be victims of violent crime than cisgender people – a harsh reality they face daily. "Dominique always had a purpose," Keith Edmonds, Dominique Rem'mie Fells' father, said. Her family said now that justice has been served, they hope her life can be a shining light for change. "Dominque's life mattered, and we will continue to honor her memory every day," Terri Fells-Edmonds said. Jones' sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 26, 2025.
CBS News
13-06-2025
- General
- CBS News
"Voracious" snakehead fish that can breathe on land found in Schuylkill River in Pennsylvania
After an invasive northern snakehead fish was found in the Schuylkill River in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, officials are spreading awareness to fishers about what they have to do: kill snakeheads on sight. Park rangers at Black Rock Sanctuary in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, found one of the fish last week, Chester County Parks and Preservation said on social media, sharing a photo of the rangers with the fish. Snakeheads are native to Russia, China and the Korean Peninsula but have been spotted around the United States, including waterways in Missouri and Maryland. The first confirmed snakehead catch in Pennsylvania occurred in July 2004 in Meadow Lake in Philadelphia's FDR Park, according to the state Fish and Boat Commission. Northern snakeheads are disruptive to local fish. Considered "voracious eaters," they will compete with native species and eat their food and occupy the habitat. Snakeheads can notably breathe air and move across land, and sometimes last for multiple days out of water, meaning they can travel between bodies of water. "Anglers in possession of snakeheads must immediately kill the fish onsite to prevent its spread," Chester County Parks and Preservation said. FBC says snakeheads may be confused for Pennsylvania native species like bowfin and burbot, but snakeheads stand out with their scaly heads that have a more interlocked pattern. You can also check out a diagram on the commission's website.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Yahoo
Body found in Schuylkill River in South Philly: police
The Brief Philadelphia police are investigating after a body was discovered in the Schuylkill River in South Philadelphia Tuesday. The identity of the victim has not been released. PHILADELPHIA - An investigation is underway after police say a body was found in the Schuylkill River Tuesday. What we know At around 5:48 p.m., emergency responders were dispatched to the 3400 block of South 26th Street for reports of a person in the river. Upon arrival, an adult male was located in the water. Medics arrived on scene and pronounced the man dead at 6:37 p.m. What we don't know The victim has not been identified. What's next The incident is under active investigation by South Detectives. The Source The information in this story is from the Philadelphia police.
